updated 05:45 am EDT, Fri August 2, 2013

Moto X to get stock Android version, but no versions headed to Europe

The Moto X will be getting a Google Play Edition according to the handset maker. The just revealed Moto X runs a largely unmodified version of Android 4.2.2, but device will have its OS lightly customized for each of the five US carriers that the device will be sold on. Although Motorola hasn't revealed when the Google Play Edition will go on sale through the Google Play store, it will be free from carrier apps and other mods, meaning that it will receive software updates more quickly and will ship out of the box with Android 4.3.

Although featuring mid-range specifications including a 720p 4.7-inch display and a dual-core Snapgragon S4 Pro chip that is a generation old yet priced in a similar bracket to high-end devices, Motorola is offering users more customizability for the handset than has previously been seen. With over 2,000 color combinations possible, Motorola decided to move its manufacturing operations to Texas, so that its US customers could get a tailored device and have it shipped within five days of placing the order. This is one of the reasons that Motorola won't be releasing the device in Europe.

Instead, Motorola has said that 'Moto X' is going to be a new brand, with a range of other products that will also pick up the Moto X name, but which may also have variations on this to help separate them in the market place. For example, its new Droid line of high-end smartphones consists of the Droid Max, Droid Ultra and the Droid mini. European users along with developing markets can look forward to the new devices arriving "within months," which could also include entry-level models targeted at the pre-paid market. [viaThe Verge]